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What my guru says about getting older

I asked the “Wise One’’ how those who are conscious and enlightened, and well into middle age, might go about conducting their business.

He suggests:

• Now that you know what’s really important, make sure to organize your life accordingly.

•If you haven’t used something in a year or two, maybe it should be recycled.

•Take an inventory of limbs and organs: use what works and do your best to compensate for what doesn’t.

• Remind yourself that time is not speeding up. It just seems that way because any period of elapsed time represents an ever-dwindling portion of your involvement in this life. A year seems a long stretch–half a lifetime–to a two year old. But that same period is but a fleeting moment from the perspective of a senior citizen.

• Recharge your mind at least as frequently as you do your mobile phone. Close your eyes and breath. Thinking during this process is strongly discouraged.

•Make sure to have something–such as a picture to look at, or a song to listen to. associated with the happy part of your youth. Then expose yourself to that bit of memorabilia whenever you feel the need to experience a bit of calm or of joy.

•Get used to the idea that yes, we have to keep reminding ourselves about those intelligent insights that help us get through life, but no, the same retraining doesn’t seem to be necessary for bad habits to persist.

•Whenever you’re feeling sad about the road not taken, remember that it too was filled with potholes.